Excellent article (OGJ, Sept. 24, 2001, p. 22). I've worried about the same problem coming at us for the past 8 or 10 years. "My description was slightly more graphic: "We stopped hiring in 1981 and in 1990 we killed off (retired) everyone over fifty;" what's left are aged 44 to 60. There's no "one left older or younger." Have you found concern on the part of operations people about this same problem in the field?
We are in worse shape for foreman: production, drilling, completions, work over, etc., than I have ever seen. The large operators in our industry used to take tool pushers and spend the money to train them into foremen. These guys are all in their late 50s and 60s now. Couple this with the relative youth of our service industry field people and the results are sometimes not too good.
In any case, I really enjoyed your article.
Norman M. Fakier
Vice-President, Operations
Crescent Drilling & Production Inc.
